


i had a few (got drunk on you)

by interstellarbeams



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: (well technically Kie is a student — studying to be a bartender), 5+1 Format, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bartenders, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Getting Together (off screen), John B has a sugar mama, Kiara is a bartender, Older Characters, Pope is a coroner, Roommates, Sarah Cameron is fabulous, Secret Relationship, jj is jj
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:01:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25557763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/interstellarbeams/pseuds/interstellarbeams
Summary: Kiara is a student at bartender school and JJ is helping her practice (when he isn’t hindering her by drinking all the liquor).
Relationships: JJ Maybank/Kiara Carrera, JJ/Kiara (Outer Banks)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 56
Collections: Jiara July Jubilee





	i had a few (got drunk on you)

**Author's Note:**

> The first fic I finished for Jiara July! So excited I finally get to share it. 
> 
> Jiara July, Day 3 — AU
> 
> Title is from Harry Styles’s Medicine
> 
> Kudos and comments are appreciated! 💕

(1)  


**mojito**

“JJ, stop! You don’t even know how expensive some of these liquors are. You can’t just guzzle them like Pabst.” Kiara smacked at JJ’s hand where he held the neck of the bottle of Patron she was using for the mojitos. 

“What? It’s meant to be drunk, _Kiara_ … not to just sit there looking pretty. Besides, it was tempting me.” JJ brushed the back of his hand across his mouth but he set the bottle down with a clunk onto the butcher’s block. 

Kiara rolled her eyes, reaching around him to snatch up the bottle and cap it, ignoring the warmth of his body when she inadvertently brushed up against him.

He lifted his eyebrows suggestively, a knowing smirk on his face, but she ignored him and turned away, stowing the bottle on top of the fridge. She picked a few limes out of the fruit basket on the counter and turned to grab a knife and brought it over to the island.

The apartment was quiet besides the energetic, rhythmic tapping of JJ’s hands against the matching ice bucket and shaker that had been a lucky find at the nearby secondhand store. Pope was off with some friends at a smash poetry night and John B had a date with Sarah at a new sushi restaurant across town, so that left just Kiara and the most annoying and endearing guy in their friend group. 

The mojitos she had been concocting sat in front of her, the opaque blue glasses reminding her of the sea glass she used to collect with her mother on the beaches of Kildare Island. She mentally crossed her fingers, hoping against hope that this time she had gotten the ratios right as she readied the garnish. 

“Would you get out of here!” She snapped when he wouldn’t stop fiddling with the knife she had set down after slicing the limes. “I’m trying to concentrate. I don’t need a knife wielding contest or an injury that could be prevented with proper safety measures that you clearly don’t follow.”

JJ’s jaw worked for a minute and she cringed inwardly, suddenly afraid she had hurt his feelings but then he leaned over towards her, blonde bangs draped over his forehead. His blue eyes were dark as storm clouds. He eyed her up and down, from the top of her messy bun to the tips of her bare toes. “You know, they make a great remedy for stress. It’s called sex.” 

“Shut up!” Kiara jerked away from him, surprised that she had let him lull her into trusting him to not act like an idiot, for once. She should have known better. Life was just a big joke to JJ Maybank. 

“I’m trying to practice here! I can’t— I just want to get this job, JJ and if I can’t mix these drinks then…I’m not gonna pass my class. I’m going to be a huge failure.” She leant over the butcher's block, rubbing her hands down her face, partly in frustration, partly to hide the tears that stung her eyelids. 

The air conditioning kicking on was loud in the room, the ceiling fan over head circling industriously against the suffocating humidity of the North Carolina evening, but despite their efforts Kie felt a droplet of sweat drip down from her upswept curls and trickle down her neck.

“Hey, you could never be a failure.” She felt JJ’s hand resting against her shoulder, his touch soft and tentative as a butterfly’s wings. “You’re the smartest, most resilient person I know. Well, you know, besides Pope with his PhD and ‘poetry’.” 

Kiara appreciated JJ’s attempts at comforting her. He could be a shitty friend, but he truly didn’t mean anything by it. The years of abuse and neglect that his father had inflicted on him had left him emotionally stunted, so the fact that he tried, meant all the more to her.

“It’s all good. If you don’t get it right this time you can try again. So, come on, get back to finishing these babies off, so daddy can have some fun.”

Kiara snorted out a laugh, picking up her head to shoot him a fond glare and knock her shoulder into his.

She reached over to grab a handful of mint, plucking a sprig off rapidly when JJ reached for the chilled glass. She practically shoved it under his nose as he bent to take a sip.

“Enjoy.” She huffed out, his ridiculous inability to be patient, lifting her lips involuntarily. 

He dropped the glass, the entire contents downed in a few minutes. She was mildly impressed that he hadn’t complained of brain freeze but JJ was made of tougher stuff. “It’s good. Much better than last week’s.” 

“We’ll see if my instructor is just as impressed at my class tomorrow night.” 

“I’ve seen your instructor. I’m _very_ impressed.” JJ smirked. Kiara’s instructor was beautiful, with long brown hair, freckled cheeks and blue eyes that were only the tip of the attractive iceberg. Kiara wasn’t ashamed to admit it.

“You’re insatiable.” Kiara laughed before she reached for her own glass and took a sip. _Hmm, not bad_ , she thought as she wandered into the living room and plopped down on the couch. 

“What can I say?” JJ shrugged, following her lead as he crossed the room to lay down on the couch, placing his head in her lap, legs dangling over the arm. Kie felt a flush stain her cheeks, the closeness of his body to hers hitting her like a sucker punch. 

_Maybe I did add too much tequila_ , she thought as she rested her head against the back of the couch and closed her eyes, the glass still clutched in one hand.

————

(2)  


**old fashioned**

“Grand Mariner? What’s so grand about it? It tastes like orange cough syrup.” JJ choked out, bending over the sink to stick his mouth under the running faucet.

“I told you to stop drinking out of the bottle like that.” Kiara gave him an ‘I told you so’ look, as she turned her back on his dramatics. 

The sound of the faucet shutting off should have warned her, but the sudden sprinkling of cold water against her back had her gasping and she turned sharply, the water spraying out of the hand held shooting right into her face.

Kiara gaped, the shock of the sight leaving her speechless for a moment. “JJ! Stop that! Shit, you’re getting me all wet!” 

“That’s what she said.” JJ practically shouted over the sound of the spraying water, his voice colored with laughter.

“JJ!” Kiara attempted to cross the short distance between them, but the water was slick against the linoleum and her flip flops were not the most stable footwear. She didn’t want to end up on her ass.

“JJ, please? I don’t want to get my hair wet. I just washed it.” Kiara pleaded, holding her hands over her head to protect it from the misting water.

He crooked an eyebrow, watching her, indecisiveness clear as day on his face but he finally twisted around to turn off the water.

Kiara pulled her tank top away from her skin, the dampness clinging against her skin making her shiver. 

“God, JJ! Why did you do that?” she asked, frowning over at him as she snatched a kitchen towel off the oven door and started mopping up the watery mess. 

He shrugged noncommittally, and she wanted to scream out her frustration but she knew that Pope was asleep after an overnight shift at the morgue and she didn’t want to disturb him. She took out her frustration on the floors and the countertop instead, scrubbing with all her might. 

JJ stood off to the side, his gaze unapologetic as he slumped against the side of the fridge and pushed his wet hair out of his face. 

“I don’t know why I put up with you sometimes,” she mumbled under her breath, as she moved around him to toss the wet towels into the laundry room, her movements jerky with anger. 

“Hey, Kie, I’m just trying to have a little fun.” He finally answered, hands shoved into his pockets as he offered her his best puppy dog look.

Kiara scoffed, turning her back on him as she reached for the glass tumblers that she had just poured the orange-colored alcohol into. Dumping the contents into the sink, she rinsed them out and shoved them into the drying rack with more force than was probably necessary. 

“I’m going to get dried off.” Kie pointed a finger at his chest. “And don’t even think of following me. I’m not in the mood. You’re just—“ She waved one hand over her shoulder, as she stomped off to the bathroom. 

Kiara rubbed roughly at her arms with a threadbare towel, her thoughts rolling with the strength of her anger. Glancing into the mirror she noticed mascara tracks running down her face and she wiped under her eyelids with trembling fingers. 

_I can’t believe him. He just— doesn’t have any respect for me! I’m trying to work here, to make sure I get my license and all he cares about is sampling the drinks and lazing around all day._

She practically threw herself out of the bathroom and down the hall, the floorboards creaking under foot as she closed her bedroom door with a satisfying slam. 

_Damn it! Why do I let him get under my skin so much?_ she thought as she sat down on her bed and tucked her feet underneath her. _I just want to be able to do what I need to do without him hovering._

 _Could she really expect anything less from him_ , she thought, as she pulled her wet tank off and shrugged into the ratty tee laying on the end of her bed. JJ wasn’t only reckless and selfish, he was bored. He was used to the docks of Kildare Island, fishing all day and partying all night. Living on the mainland with his busy friends, left him at loose ends and he had nowhere to store his excess energy. 

Kiara plopped back on her pillows, pulling a knitted blanket over her bare legs. The sun shone through her eastern facing window, the warmth of her shut up bedroom, the dropping off of her adrenaline and the sun shining across her bed sending her off to sleep without her consent.

…

The creak of her bedroom door woke her up and she blinked open her eyes, the shadows dancing across the wall notifying her that she had slept much longer than she usually did. 

Groaning, she turned over, pressing one hand to her aching head before she realized the sound she had heard was someone coming into her room.

“Oh, JJ, I didn’t mean to sleep so long,” she whined, hardly noticing what he held in his hands before he moved closer. 

“What’s this?” she asked, when the damp glass came into contact with her fingers.

“An old fashioned.” He shrugged, shoving her legs over so that he could sit next to her. She sighed but moved them, crossing them under her as she took a sip.

The orange flavor hit her like a freight train, and she grimaced as she swallowed but the second sip tasted better and the third, _well._

“Hey, how do you know how to make these?” she asked, fingers gripping the condensation slick tumbler as she leaned her head back against the wall.

JJ was quiet for a moment, which was surprising, when usually he couldn’t keep the constant thoughts running through his head from escaping his lips, like water out of a sieve. 

“My mom,” he spoke, his voice hushed, like the darkness of her bedroom required the quiet of the echoing nave of a cathedral but maybe what he was about to say was as sacred as a confessional. It was hard to get JJ to speak about his painful past, but sometimes he opened up. 

“She wasn’t around much, growing up. She liked to head down to South Carolina — Wilmington — to gamble but whenever she could be bothered to come back home, she always made me rustle up a couple of her favorite cocktails.”

JJ smiled but his eyes were shuttered and his lips tense and brittle. She reached across the space between them and rubbed a hand along his upper back, affectionately, the backward jerk of his neck the only hint that he had downed his own drink. 

Kiara looked down into her glass, the bright red maraschino cherry sitting on top giving her a sudden idea. Maybe her years hanging around and partying with Sarah Cameron and her flighty friends might actually help her out. 

Poking her finger into his shoulder she drew his attention, before plucking the cherry out of her drink and popping it into her mouth. JJ’s eyes darkened perceptively and she had to curb the sudden urge to swallow nervously as she worked the cherry around in her mouth, the stem coming free quickly. 

After a few moments, she pulled the tied up cherry stem out of her mouth and presented it to him.

“Hey, that’s a trick. I wonder what else you can do with that mouth.” JJ’s insinuating teasing was typical of him, something she had heard for so many years she thought she should be over it but she couldn’t contain a blush.

She shoved him in the shoulder, pulling back her arm to swing at him, this time with a fist, but he laughed ducking out of the way. He almost tripped crossing the floor, hers was not the neatest of the bunch, though it was leagues cleaner than JJ’s shared room with John B. 

“Hey, Kie.” He stopped as he opened her door. “I’m sorry about earlier.” 

“Thanks JJ. I’m sorry I got so mad.”

“It’s okay. And you know, the next time you want to get wet, you only have to ask.”

“Get out of here, pervert!” She tossed a flip flop, but it hit the door with a faint thunk as soon as he closed it, his laughter echoing from the other side of the flimsy wood.

—————

(3)  


**piña colada**

The blender whirred loudly, but it couldn’t drown out the sound of Sarah’s laughter and Pope and JJ’s argument over who was the creepier, classic creature — Swamp Thing or Moth Man.

Kiara pressed the off button as she leaned over the counter to grab the cream of coconut, dumping in a heavy amount as she offered some advice to John B on the proper way to pan toast almonds for the almond chicken they were eating for dinner. Growing up around _The Wreck_ and then working as a waitress there had definitely taught her something about cooking, even if it was only a few things. 

“That shirt is just like… wild, man,” JJ commented as he slid around the island to stand next to John B, who was wearing an exuberantly patterned Hawaiian shirt. Sarah had specifically picked it out for its horrible tiger stripe plus hibiscus pattern but John B had unironically loved it when she gave it to him for his birthday, which was what they were all celebrating tonight. 

“Thanks, man,” John B replied, earnestly, shooting a smile at JJ, his sun streaked bangs hanging across one tan cheek.

JJ shot Kiara a _seriously_ look, which she struggled not to giggle at as she dispensed the piña colada’s into tall, multi-colored tiki mugs. 

She set one glass next to John B’s elbow where he held reign over the stove, perfectly content to cook his own birthday meal. Besides JJ was bound to burn down the apartment complex if he was allowed near an open flame and Pope’s skills were not culinary inclined, _his knife skills weren’t meant for animal flesh_ , he often exclaimed, loudly. Kie then retrieved the tray from the countertop by the sink, placing the drinks on the plastic haphazardly and lifting it to carry it into the living room, JJ dodging her steps like an exuberant puppy. 

Sarah clapped her hands excitedly as she accepted her cup, immediately sipping out of the straw and throwing her head back with an almost sensual moan.

Kie shot her an exasperated look, elbowing JJ in the side when he turned a lascivious look on their best friend's girlfriend. He shrugged, probably unable to help himself as he flopped down on the floor beside Pope’s legs.

Pope took his cup with a distractedly mumbled ‘thanks’, staring down at his phone like it held the secrets of the universe — more than likely it was his financial advisor and not a kinky hookup texting him after a wild night. That was more JJ’s territory. 

Kie set the tray down on the scratched up coffee table, her piña colada left on the bright orange tray as she turned to head back into the kitchen.

Opening the fridge, she pulled out a beer and made her way back into the living room, stepping over the boys’ swim trunks, strown where they had left them after that morning’s swim at the YMCA. The apartment was a mess as usual, but Kiara refused to play den mother to a trio of twenty-something’s who should know by now how to pick up after themselves.

“Gross! This is way too sweet.” JJ made a face as she moved to sit down on the couch, his shoulder rubbing up against her bare calf.

“That’s why I brought you this.” Kie handed over the bottle of beer, and he grasped it with thankful fingers, a genuine smile lifting the corner of his lips as he popped off the cap with the bottle opener hanging from his keychain.

“Much better. I don’t know how y’all drink that shit,” JJ complained around the mouth of his bottle. Kie shoved him in the back of the head, reveling in his muffled ‘ouch’ as his lips hit the glass rim, but relaxed to take a sip of her own drink, popping the pineapple wedge off the rim of the glass and taking a bite out of it. 

JJ turned, resting his elbow on the top of her knee, the warmth of his skin against hers sending chill bumps skittering across her skin. She prayed he didn’t notice.

Sarah did, if the knowing look she shot Kie was anything to go by. She glared at her, waving her back towards her drink as she tried not to tense under JJ’s unrelenting attention. The pineapple slice was sticky in her hand and she lifted it up to take another bite, to give herself something to do besides focus on her blond-haired friend, when JJ’s fingers were suddenly there, wrapping around hers and pulling the fruit towards his own mouth.

Kie nearly gasped at the feeling of his lips as they glanced off her fingers, the suddenness of his touch electrifying her, like the sharp crack of thunder after a flash of lightning. 

She bit her lip, trying to focus on anything else but his touch. Her friends were sure to notice the sexually charged moment. Thankfully, Pope was still pouring over his text messages, straw pressed between his lips and Sarah had retreated to the kitchen, standing with her arms wrapped around John B’s waist as he flipped the chicken with a pair of tongs.

“Stop,” she mouthed, snatching her hand away and getting up to walk towards the trash can in the kitchen. She felt the heat of his gaze on her back, but she refused to turn around and catch sight of the look that was liable to erupt her into flames, so she picked up the dirty blender carafe off the counter and started to wash it in the sink. 

The rest of the evening went well. They sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to John B, a lone candle sunk into a Twinkie, which he managed to swallow in one gulp. This earned a challenge from JJ, who bet that he could eat more than John B in one sitting, no question.

Kiara stayed close to Pope’s side through the rest of the night, electing to endure an informative and disgusting rant about the bowel movements of the human body after death, instead of venturing anywhere near JJ and his confusing actions… one minute he was elaborating on the many, sexy attributes of Kaia Gerber and the next, giving her a look that clearly displayed his interest in _her_.

She refused to have feelings for her best friend. It would only create complications in their friend group and she didn’t want to be the disruptive party in their normally calm environment. 

Her heart warmed when he saluted her on his way to bed around midnight, a soft goodnight following. JJ was shameless, a major flirt and king of the flippant, one night stand. She couldn’t let herself be drawn in.

It was all very _disconcerting_. 

—————

(4)  


**long island iced tea**

“Hey, Kie! I got the cola,” JJ yelled out as the front door slammed. Breaking Kiara’s concentration as she poured the gin, stray droplets sprinkled the countertop. 

She pierced him with an annoyed glare, but he didn’t seem phased, tossing his keys onto the entryway table and sauntering across the living room towards her.

She ground out an irritated ‘thanks’ as he pulled the bottle out of one of the environmentally friendly bags she insisted they all use when shopping and set it near her elbow. 

JJ opened the fridge and pulled out the stuff to make a sandwich, clanking and banging around in the drawers and cabinets retrieving silverware and a plate. Kiara huffed but bent her attention back to the drink she was mixing. She had another class tomorrow and if she didn’t get this drink right by then, she was going to be pissed.

She poured the triple sec, then squeezed the lemon over the highball glass using her hand as a sieve to keep the seeds out because someone had decided to use her strainer for a miniature ping pong ball hoop and it was now lost in the pigsty that was his bedroom. 

Stirring the concoction with a long grapefruit spoon, she stuck a paper straw into the beverage and handed it off to JJ who hovered beside her, one of the two sandwiches on his plate, halfway demolished already.

“Alright,” he said, as he sat his plate down and took a big gulp. Kiara watched him carefully, but was majorly disappointed when JJ swallowed and set the glass away from him. JJ was never one to pass up an alcoholic drink so she really must have messed up.

“Oh God. What did I do wrong now?” she asked, slumping against the countertop. 

“Nothing.” JJ replied, his voice harsh, with the addition of a much higher pitch than normal. “You did nothing wrong.”

“Cut the bullshit, JJ. I know you and I know that it isn’t good. So please stop trying to make me feel better.”

“Well, what do you want me to do? I don’t know what you want.” His voice raised, frustration coloring his voice and she shifted her gaze away. 

“I don’t know. I just— maybe I’m not meant to do this. I should just go to school to become a marine biologist like my mom always wanted.”

JJ continued chewing his sandwich, one hand clenched into a fist beside the plate. Kie watched him as he ate, his attention trained on something in the distance, a vaguely annoyed look resting on his face.

Kiara sighed, rubbing a hand across her face. Throwing caution to the wind, she moved closer, leaning against his side in resignation and wrapping her fingers around his hand. 

“Look, I’m sorry. It’s not your fault I’m so shit at this.” 

He remained quiet. She felt like kicking herself for yelling at him when he was only trying to help. He had gone to the store to get the cola when she needed it for the drink and supported her when she had originally decided to attend bartending school — everyone else thought it was a hobby, something for the rich girl to do to occupy her time, but not JJ. When she told him he had given her a wide smile and pulled her into a friendly hug that had surprised her more than the lack of support from her other friends. She shouldn’t have taken her frustration out on him.

His shoulders slowly relaxed and she took that as a sign that he wasn’t mad anymore, her guilt melting away as he loosened up. His arm wrapped around her waist finally and she looped her arm over his shoulder. The casual intimacy of the embrace was surprisingly just what she needed.

Pressing her forehead against the side of his head, she ignored the warning bells that were going off in her head, the ones that were telling her this was a very bad idea.

His hand moved slowly, almost as if he was afraid to spook her, like a fawn stepping out of the safety of the trees for the first time, his hand brushing against the skin of her side. She sucked in a breath, eyelashes fluttering as she closed her eyes against the intensity of her reaction to his touch.

“Kie.” His voice dropped and she knew she should pull away, play it off as an emotional reaction and not a confirmation of the tension that surged between them. 

She wanted to be closer to him, to feel the way only he could make her feel, despite everything inside her that was telling her it would be a big mistake. 

JJ wasn’t known for being monogamous. He flitted from girl to girl like a hyped up hummingbird and he wasn’t always the most reliable when it came to emotional attachments, but Kiara knew most of his romantic history was affected by his childhood — the insufficiency he felt, the doubt that made him constantly wonder if he was deserving of love. She had been on the sidelines for the longest time as she watched him fruitlessly search for the thing that would fill the gaping hole in his chest. The love that he was looking for would never exist between him and a random girl that would walk out on him just as soon as he forgot her name. He needed someone who knew him and she wanted to show him that he did deserve love, a love that she could give him. 

He turned his head, the ghosting of his breath across her cheek sending her reeling, it felt like hot needles were running over her scalp and ice cold air was rushing over her limbs at the same time. The infinitesimal lifting of her chin felt almost involuntary on her part when suddenly the door banged open. 

She jerked backwards, almost tripping as she wheeled toward the sink, pressing her palms down hard against the cool stainless steel, her heartbeat rushing in her ears.

John B’s deeper voice rumbled as he dropped his backpack onto a stool at the kitchen table, asking JJ a random question about the motocross race they had watched on tv last weekend. Kiara thanked God that John B had been the one to walk through the door, the most oblivious of their friends, and not Sarah, who would have squealed and dragged her to her bedroom to gossip about feelings, love and subject her to over the top “ _oh, I knew JJ was into you_ ,” shrieks. 

John B walked to the fridge, just like JJ had done upon walking in the door and retrieved a snack. Stepping around Kie with a distracted ‘excuse me’ he filled a glass at the tap before the sound of his footsteps disappeared down the hall. 

Kie kept her head turned, the brick wall across from their apartment building darkening as the sun started sinking. JJ’s chair squeaked as he pushed it backwards, his footsteps coming closer as he set his plate into the sink but he didn’t move away.

“So I uh—“ JJ rubbed at the back of his neck with one hand, “I used to make Long Island iced teas for all the rich folks at the Sea Wind golf resort. I could help you, if you want. Uh, no— no pressure.”

Kiara had to wonder if he was only speaking about offering his help, or something more but she finally glanced over at him. His wild hair was mussed as if he had been running his hands through it. He frankly looked adorable. She nodded her head in acceptance and a bright smile broke across his face.

What she wouldn’t give to see that smile more often. 

JJ brushed his hands together, stepping up to the counter before grabbing the neck of the nearest bottle. “Okay, so… here’s what you gotta do.” 

————

(5)  


**bloody mary’s**

Kiara groaned as she stood up from the couch where she had collapsed the night before after a spirited game of Ride the Bus. The drinks hadn’t stopped, while the crew tried to hold onto as many cards as they could. Kie has been into it, like majorly, the only thing on her mind — winning. Needless to say, she really regretted it today. 

“Gross.” The inside of her mouth tasted like a dirty sock that had been left under the dryer for a month. 

She immediately walked into the kitchen, kicking red solo cups across the floor and stepping over Pope’s prone body, his backpack tucked under his cheek like a pillow, to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. She guzzled it leaning against the cool surface of the appliance, her eyes closed against the sun shining through the window.

Her head pounded with a hangover headache and she pressed a hand against it, feeling like she needed to hold the pounding monstrosity up or it would fall off her shoulders.

“Morning.” JJ’s chipper greeting made her jerk in surprise. Opening her eyes, she glared over at him, but he merely smiled and reached into the cabinet over her head for the aspirin. 

He tossed her the bottle and she mumbled a ‘thank you’ as she swallowed two down and finished her water.

“I’m hungry.” JJ groaned, reaching into the pantry for a box of cereal, but none were his favorite, the one he was ultimately searching for. He tossed each reject down onto the floor causing Kie to follow after him, picking up the discarded cereal boxes and placing them back on the shelf as he moved towards the fridge and opened it.

“JJ.”

He continued to dig around in the fridge, his head practically disappearing into the cold appliance but he finally closed the door, mumbling under his breath about the lack of food options he was interested in.

Kiara’s head continued to pound but the look of his crestfallen face made her straighten up from the chair at the kitchen table that she had taken after picking up after him and moved toward him. 

“JJ, sit.” She grabbed his arm and pulled him across the floor before pushing him into a chair.

“Bossy! Daddy like.”

“JJ, please, I can’t right now okay. My head is splitting. Just please sit there.” 

“Yes ma’am.” He saluted her with a wink.

Kie shook her head as she gathered the ingredients to make pancakes. Cracking the eggs into the bowl and whisking in the milk, she hummed under her breath. She set the batter to the side to rest as she started the bacon in the pan.

“That smells good,” JJ added, ankles crossed and propped up on the kitchen table. She thought about chastising him for boots on the table but didn’t have the energy as she poured the batter into the pan, four somewhat lopsided pancakes flipped out onto the plate after a few minutes.

Her headache had reduced to a slight throb but didn’t subsist. She figured being a bartender she should know some remedies for the hangovers that were sure to follow her clientele’s imbing. 

Turning to JJ, spatula in hand, she propped her other hand on her hip. “Hey, JJ, what’s the best cure for a hangover?”

“Hair of the dog.” JJ immediately replied, one arm slung over the back of the chair as he dropped his feet from the tabletop.

“So… more alcohol?” 

“Absolutely. Are you sure you want to be a bartender?”

“Yes! Shut up. Just cause I’m going to be mixing other people’s drinks, doesn’t mean that I want to subject myself to overindulgence.”

“Ha. Says the girl that drank Pope under the table last night.”

Kiara huffed. “That wasn’t about the drinking. I’m competitive. I wanted to win. And I did.”

She smirked over at him before flipping another pancake, ignoring his admiring gaze that promised many things that she couldn’t focus on right now. 

“So… do you want to help?” Kie asked JJ, who immediately jumped up, his too-early-in-the-morning-for-this energy ready and raring to go.

“Let’s do this.” 

Kiara peeked into the fridge and pulled out a bottle of tomato juice and a plastic bag full of celery. “Bloody Mary’s it is.” 

“Nice.” JJ accepted the bottle and bag, their fingers grazing against each other’s. Staring boldly into his eyes, she bit her lip, and slowly turned away, back to the pancakes and the bacon that she hoped wasn’t burning while she was distracted.

JJ retrieved the vodka from the top of the fridge and started mixing as Kiara moved on to the eggs. She snatched the hot sauce from him, a grumbled ‘hey!’ his only response, to dump in the eggs as she scrambled them.

The sound of moaning reached their ears and JJ immediately stepped into the living room to help Pope to his feet and lead him to the bathroom. 

Kiara snorted, the sight of JJ being the caretaker an odd one, but he knew how to hold his liquor and didn’t seem any the worse for wear so he was probably the best option while she had her hands full in the kitchen. 

They hadn’t heard a peep from John B and Sarah since the game ended last night and they had staggered down the hall, laughing and trying to kiss each other, their lips missing their intended target more often than not. 

Pope meandered back into the room, slumping into a chair at the table, his voice muffled by his arm, as he asked her what she was making.

JJ nudged her with his elbow. “Hey, I wonder what Pope would do if I offered him a glass of this.” He held out the bottle of Worcestershire, wiggling it in mid air and waggling his eyebrows, glee clear on his face at the idea of messing with his incapacited friend.

“More than likely vomit it up and you would be the one cleaning it all up.”

JJ’s face fell and she snickered.

“You ruin all my fun,” JJ sniped, but she didn’t let his comment bother her as she finished cooking the eggs.

“I’m making you pancakes. You should be grateful.”

“Oh, I am very grateful.” His mood suddenly changed. Grabbing her by the waist, he twirled her to face him and she gasped, shooting a glance over her shoulder towards Pope, but the soft snoring coming from his open mouth pronounced him down for the count. 

“JJ. Stop.” She pushed at his shoulder but he only drew her closer until her chest was pressed up against his and she could smell the faintest hint of his shower gel. 

“Why should I stop?” he asked, eyebrows furrowed on his forehead. “I know you want to keep us a secret but I’m frankly, tired of it.”

He dipped his head, and she lifted a hand to rest against his neck, the softness of his skin under her hand making her heart pound as he pressed a thumb to the underside of her chin, lifting her lips to his. 

The anticipation was killing her, the teasing light in his eyes making her irrationally angry and turned on at the same time, when a loud yawn from the hallway snatched them apart. 

Kie turned to plate the eggs while JJ poured the drinks, chopping sticks of celery to place in the tops of the drinks and shaking another dash of Tabasco on top. 

Sarah shuffled in, her silky camisole, robe and matching shorts set making Kie feel like a bedraggled homeless person as she glanced down at her flour smudged and wrinkled tie-dye shirt. JJ made a move to pull her back into him but she quickly ducked out of the way and grabbed a Bloody Mary to hand off to her friend.

John B wandered in a few minutes later, scratching his side and ruffling a hand through his hair.

“Breakfast is served,” Kie announced, setting the plates down on the table and making sure everyone had what they needed — butter, syrup, salt and pepper. 

“And you can thank JJ for the incredible Bloody Mary’s.” 

JJ’s lips lifted in a warm smile and he ducked his head back towards his plate, shoving a big mouthful in. Kie smiled back at him, his shyness about accepting her praise warming her from the inside out. 

“Oh god, marry me, Kiara Carrera,” JJ blurted out unabashedly as he reached for another pancake to practically inhale. “These are the best pancakes I have ever eaten. In. My. Life.” 

Kiara rolled her eyes but felt warmth suffusing her cheeks and down the back of her neck. She knew he was only kidding, but Sarah’s sneaky look and Pope’s wide eyed glance between them made her wonder if her friends hadn’t caught on already. 

—————

(+1)  


**champagne**

Kie unlocked the door to the apartment, juggling her purse, a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine under one arm.

She had finally taken her last class of the bartending school and graduated. She couldn’t be happier (or more thankful that it was over). 

Strangely the lights were off when she walked inside, stepping back out for a second she set the wine bottle down and reached for the lights with her free hand.

“Surprise!” her friends shouted out and she jumped, pressing one hand to her racing heart.

“Holy sh—“ Her muttered curse was cut off when Sarah ran towards her and threw her arms around her, waves of dirty blonde hair that smelled like coconuts smacking her in the face.

She pulled away, trying not to suffocate from her friend’s loose flowing hair. Glancing around, she almost teared up at the sight of the streamers and ‘Congratulations’ banner that hung across the space between the living area and kitchen. 

“You guys!” She dropped her bag in the recliner and placed the flowers on the coffee table, accepting a side hug from John B as he pressed a full cup into her hand. “You didn’t have to.”

“Course we did.” Pope sidled over, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and clinking his cup against hers like it was the finest crystal flute. 

“It was JJ’s idea. He wouldn’t take no for an answer,” Sarah added, softly, gesturing with a nod of her head toward the kitchen where JJ stood against the kitchen island. 

Kiara’s heart suddenly felt like it was going to explode. He had planned this surprise all for her and she hadn’t even acknowledged who he was to her, what he meant to her, in front of their friends. _What was the matter with her?_

She quickly ducked out from under Pope’s arm, setting her cup next to the bouquet and made a beeline for JJ.

He stumbled backwards, almost dropping his cup in his haste to set it down as she came closer, her intent clear on her face but she wouldn’t let him escape.

She stopped when they were face to face, the racing of her heart and sudden nervousness urging her to just give him a hug and act like it was any other day, but she couldn’t do that. JJ deserved everything life had to offer and she was his girlfriend, damn it, she would be the one to announce to the world (or their small friend group) that they were together. 

She grasped him by both cheeks, his blue eyes widening impossibly and she kissed him, right in front of everyone. 

“I told you! I. Told. _You!_ ” She could hear Sarah crowing as she wrapped her arms his neck, his arms wrapping around her waist in an tight embrace, as she deepened the kiss.

“Dude. Dude!” Pope shouted, the muffled sound of him whacking John B in the arm loud but Kie tuned it out as she dug her hands through her boyfriend’s hair, the impossible tangle made even worse by her amorous fingers.

“You didn’t tell _me_!” Sarah accused when they finally pulled away, JJ’s arms still wrapped around her waist.

“No. But to be fair, I didn’t tell anyone.” Kie retorted, but her tone held no heat. She knew that Sarah wasn’t mad, just mildly miffed that she hadn’t been in on the secret. 

John B sauntered over, swinging an arm over Sarah’s shoulders. Heshook JJ’s hand, a weirdly complicated, macho congratulatory act that made Kie roll her eyes. 

“Y’all are cute together,” Pope spoke. His quiet mannerisms were much more to Kie’s taste and she smiled at him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his keychain, he fiddled with it for a minute before tossing her a fluffy object.

“What’s this?” She asked, turning the purple furred thing between her hands.

“A rabbit’s foot. You're gonna need it, to deal with this guy.”

Kie recoiled, almost dropping the rabbit’s foot, disgust curling her lip. 

“Hey, man!” JJ growled, quickly releasing Kie to playfully tackle Pope, “You little shit. Take it back!” 

“Boys...” Kie warned, but JJ didn’t listen. 

John B was silently contemplating the inside of his cup when Pope’s baseball cap suddenly flew into his face, tossed there by JJ who couldn’t leave well enough alone. He laughed, more a warning than a sign of happiness, handed Sarah his cup and joined in on the play fighting. 

Kie rolled her eyes and went to grab her cup from the coffee table, gulping a majority of the contents she sat down on the couch and started talking to Sarah. The boys continued to tussle, their playful grunts and jubilant yells causing a smile to lift her lips. She hid it with a tip of her cup, but she was happy. Happier than any diploma could make her. 

...

She felt the dip of the bed as JJ got up, the cold AC rushing in under the blankets, but before she could utter a sleepy complaint he was tucking her back in and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

She smiled to herself, his thoughtfulness breaking the fog in her half asleep brain, before she snuggled down into her pillow and fell back asleep. 

The clink of a glass woke her up again and she squinted in the faint light, trying to decipher what had made the sound.

“Oh, sorry, babe,” JJ whispered, settling down on the side of the bed. He held out the flute and she took it reflexively, the bright scent of citrus invading her fogged brain. 

She took a sip, the snap of bubbles in her tongue unfamiliar. “What’s this?” 

“Mimosa.” JJ cuddled down beside her and she leaned her head up against him.

“I know we had your celebration last night but I wanted something for us to share, ya know?”

“This is good,” she added, rubbing a hand along the side of his cheek, his stubble scraping pleasantly against her fingers. 

“Let me see that,” she replied, when JJ bent the bottle over his glass for a second time.

She gasped at the sight of the label. “Babe! This is expensive. Like, really expensive stuff.”

JJ shrugged like it was inconsequential. “I couldn’t offer you anything less. You deserve—“ He stopped and she marveled at the sound of tears clogging his voice. “I know that it’s just a bartending diploma, but to you it’s a dream. It’s everything. You deserve the world, I want to give that to you.”

“Oh, honey.” Kiara reached over and sat her glass down on the low wooden shelf that was her side table and reached for him.

Cradling his head in her hands she kissed his forehead, pulling him closer to wrap him in her arms.

“I don’t need expensive champagne. Thank you. It’s— it’s a lovely gift but next time, why don’t we use it for a rent payment instead.”

She felt him nod his head against her shoulder and she pulled back to catch a glimpse of his face. 

“I’m the luckiest girl in the world cause I have you. Okay?”

Their lips met softly at first, almost like a promise, but the tickling bubbles of the champagne had clearly already gone to her head because she couldn’t stop herself as she tripped her fingers up the back of his neck.

He shivered under her touch and Kiara smiled against his lips, the warmth of his chest pressed against hers sending butterflies swooping through her stomach.

His fingers dipped down over her bare shoulder and traced down her arm to her fingers, which he captured in his own. His blue eyes suddenly lit with mischief and she braced herself as he dove toward the bed, dropping down heavily but the cage of his arms held her fast and she felt only a slight jostle.

“Now, that we’ve gone through all that emotional shit, how about you show me what else you’re skilled at.”

Kie struggled not to roll her eyes, a disbelieving laugh on her lips, choosing instead to show him just what she was capable of.


End file.
